I always put my rag quilts into a cotton pillow case and then fasten it closed with heavy rubber band that comes on celery at the grocery store. I take the quilt out of the washer after the first wash after it has spun and take it outside and open up the pillow case and shake out the quilt and pillowcase and then put the quilt back inside and start the rinse cycle and spin and then reshake everything. Then throw into dryer. Every 10 minutes take quilt out, shake, and return to dryer in pillowcase until it is dry. I usually do this two or three washings and I have never had a problem with either the washer or dryer. But ALWAYS clean the lint catcher in the dryer when you do the shake thing. It is amazing how much lint is collected.